The New Painting
by MadD-NerdGirl
Summary: After Ib left the Fabricated World, Garry woke up in a strange hallway, surrounded by blue rose petals. He was sure that he had died, but he felt perfectly fine. What will Garry go through, now that he's trapped in the Fabricated World? Will he ever get out? Will he ever see Ib again? (Takes place after the "Forgotten Portrait" ending.)
1. Chapter 1

_What? I'm awake? But, I thought, I thought I was… dead? Mary. She had my rose. She was ripping out the petals, and I died. Ib! Is she okay? I have to find her! I can't let Mary hurt her!_

I stand up. Strangely, all the pain from before is gone. I don't feel tired. I feel perfectly fine. I walk down the hallway, following a trail of blue rose petals. I make my way to a set of stairs that lead to a small room. In the center of the room are a few blue flower petals and a small, green flower stalk. _My rose. It's completely destroyed. But, shouldn't I be dead then?_

Suddenly, one of the creepy blue dolls walks out from a doorway in front of me. Around the doorway are several vines that appear to have been drawn with crayon. The ends of the vines look like they were burnt. There are even a few ashes lying around the doorway. The blue doll looks at me with its creepy, little smile. A splotch of paint suddenly appears on the wall to my right. I step closer to read it.

 _Follow me, Garry._

As I turn and look back at the doll, it laughs and then disappears into the room that it had come from. I'm tempted to follow it. _Should I follow it?_ I hate those dolls, and I would hate to do anything that they tell me to do, but for some reason I feel attracted to the room. My legs move without my brain telling them to.

As I enter the room, I can see a pile of ashes and a palette knife lying in the middle of the room. _Mary._ _Was this Mary?_ As I continue walking, I see many more blue dolls as well as a few mannequin heads. There are also many books, papers, and crayons lying around. I look up. I see a large painting with the glass broken around the edges of it. Behind the painting is a large burn mark, as if something had been burned there before. I step closer to inspect the painting. The background is a dark navy blue color - almost black - and there are a few vines lining the bottom of the painting with a few blue roses. There's nothing else in the painting, leaving a large blank space amongst the dark background. The nameplate on the bottom of the painting says "Forgotten Portrait". _How strange._

A splotch of paint suddenly appears in front of me, right below the painting. _This is your painting, Garry._ What?!

Another paint splotch. _You're one of us, Garry._

"What's going on here?!" I shout aloud. No response.

Another paint splotch appears. _Welcome home, Garry._

 _I have to get out of here!_ I run as fast as I can out of the room. I run forward, crushing some of my flower petals under my feet. I run out and soon find myself back in the Sketchbook area. My feet carry me into the pink house in the center of the area which is somehow unlocked. I continue running down some dark stairs and turn a corner, and I somehow find myself in a darker version of the original gallery. As I run through the familiar hallways, I finally find the Fabricated World painting. But, it looks different. Upon closer inspection, I realize that it depicts the original gallery.

 _Is this the way out?_ I reach out my hands to see if they can go through the painting, however, they simply hit the cold, glass frame. _No. No! I have to get out! Ib!_ Suddenly, I notice a small girl in the corner of the painting. She has brown hair, and she's wearing a white shirt and a red skirt. She appears to be with two others - a man and a woman. Her parents. _Ib! She's safe! She made it out!_ For a moment, I feel nothing but joy. I laugh and smile as I know that my friend is okay. But then I stop. I'm still stuck here. I can't get out. All happiness washes away. I think back to what the paint splotches said in that other room. _This is your painting, Garry. You're one of us, Garry. Welcome home, Garry._

"Am I, am I a painting?" I mumble to myself. That painting. It had blue roses in it. Just like the rose that had represented my life here. "Is that really _my_ painting? Am I still alive because I am a painting now?" It all made sense. But, does that mean I'm no longer human? Am I just like Mary now? Can I no longer escape? _Will I never see Ib again?_ That last thought scares me. I bite my lip as I lean my back against the wall beside the painting and slowly fall down to the floor. I pull my knees close and bury my head in them.

For now, I won't think. Thinking hurts too much. It reminds me of what I've become and what I've lost. For now, I just want to sit and be alone. _I am alone._

 **Here's my first "Ib" fanfic! This takes place after the "Forgotten Portrait" ending, the first ending that I got when I played the game. Anyways, this isn't over yet. I have more planned for Garry. And don't worry. This will have a happy ending (eventually). Thanks for reading this and please review! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

I don't know how long I've been here, but a lot of time must have passed by now. I'm starting to feel more comfortable here, and I know the hallways like the back of my hand. I'm even starting to consider the other inhabitants here as family. Just the other day, I called the Lady in Red my "big sister". I think I'm starting to lose it. However, I've never forgotten _her._ I will always hold my memories of Ib close to my heart. She's my friend, and even though I will probably never see her again, I am happy that she is safe.

Every now and then, I like to travel back to the Fabricated World painting in the dark gallery. I like to see all of the visitors, and sometimes I wonder if Ib will ever come back again. I haven't seen her since she left the gallery that day, but I really hope she returns.

I think about her a lot. Using the art supplies that have been left here, I like to paint pictures of her. I paint the two of us together, or sometimes I just paint Ib standing alone, looking sweet and innocent. I like to keep all of these paintings in the room where my painting is. Sometimes the others like to come in my room and look at my paintings. They all think that I'm a great artist, and they love my work. I think I am starting to like them. I think they are starting to like me too.

I have just finished another painting. I stand back to admire my work. I've painted Ib holding her rose. She has a big smile on her face, and she appears to be laughing. Her eyes are closed and her brown hair falls gracefully down her back and over her shoulders. She's standing in a beautiful, grassy field that's filled with bright red roses. The sky is bright blue with a few clouds floating by. I smile proudly. I carefully pick up the canvas and lay it against the wall to dry. Luckily, I know the others won't touch it. They never touch my paintings. They know how much these paintings mean to me.

 _I really want to see her again. I miss Ib. I wish she was here with me now._

* * *

 _I'm not crazy._ I say this to myself quite often now. However, I don't think that it's working. I have been painting more and more paintings of Ib now, and sometimes, well, sometimes I find it's hard to remember what she looks like. I hate to admit that, but I guess I've been here so long that my memory is starting to get fuzzy. Sometimes I forget how her hair looked, or what color her eyes were, or what she wore when I met her. That's why I'm glad I have all of these paintings. They remind me of what she looked like, and they even help remind me of our experience together when we first arrived here.

To be honest, those memories are starting to become fuzzy too. Now I only have a few vivid images of our time together in my mind. I think I am really starting to lose it. I don't want to lose those memories. I don't. I don't.

I look down at my hands. They're wet. I'm crying. I quickly wipe my eyes. I can't let my siblings see me like this. I can't let them see me like this.

I look behind me. Once again, I'm in the dark gallery. The Fabricated World painting is hanging on the wall behind me. Ib has not shown up yet. I'm starting to lose hope that she will ever return. _No._ I can't think that way. _She_ will _return!_

 **Here's chapter two! As you can see, Garry's kind of losing it. Don't worry. This story will have a happy ending. Until then, I will sit here and enjoy torturing Garry! Mwahahaha! Anyways, please review and follow! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

I am really starting to lose hope. I don't think that Ib will ever return. It hurts to know this. However, for some reason, I still make my way through the dark gallery and stand in front of the Fabricated World painting. It looks the same. No changes.

 _Wait! What's that?!_ In the corner of the painting is a brown haired girl in a white dress. There's a little bit of red near the collar of the dress, which looks a little like a scarf or a bow. _It can't be! But, maybe it is!_ I gasp and laugh and smile. She came back! She really came back!

But wait. If I want to see her again, I'd have to bring her back here. Part of me really wants to. I desperately want to see her again and hear her voice. But the other part of me doesn't want to drag her back here. Even though most of my memories have disappeared by now, I still remember how afraid she was - how afraid we _both_ were - when we first came here. I don't want to put her through that again. _But_ , I've been here for a long time now. The others are really nice, and never hurt me. So, I'm sure that if I let them know how much she means to me, they would be nice to her too. It's decided then. I'll bring her back here. Just one more time.

I run back to where my siblings are. I find them in my room, looking at the many paintings that I've done. I tell them my plan and they easily agree. I make them all promise not to hurt Ib, and they all promise. I'm so happy!

Going back to the Fabricated World painting, I see that she is still there. I smile. I finally get to see her again.

"Ib, come downstairs," I say to the painting. "Come Ib. I want to see you again."

I watch as Ib walks through the gallery and then towards the Abyss of the Deep painting. Suddenly, Ib is gone. She made it! She's really here!

I run all through the Fabricated World. I run through the different hallways, passing many of my siblings. I have to find Ib. Finally, I find her. She's in the Green area, running and screaming as hands stretch out of the wall, trying to grab her.

"Ib!" I shout. She looks up at me. She looks older. _How old is she now? How long have I been here?_ Whatever. I can ask questions later.

"What? How do you know my name?" Ib asks. She looks afraid. _Afraid of me._ This thought breaks my heart, but I continue to wave her towards me.

"Come on, I'll explain later," I say. "Just follow me! I can help you!" She seems hesitant at first, but she finally starts to run towards me. I hold the door to the next area open and we run through together.

We're in the yellow area now. Ahead of us is a large cat face with a small, fish-shaped key hole at the center. Ib looks at it nervously.

"Can you please open for me? I want to get through," I tell the cat. It looks down at me, and then it lets out a loud "meow". A path appears in front of us, and I motion for Ib to follow me.

"How did you do that?" she asks. Suddenly, she gasps. "Wait, I think I've seen you before!" My heart swells. _She remembers me!_

"You're that one painting in the gallery! That guy from the Forgotten Portrait painting!" Ib looks afraid. She starts to back away from me.

"No, it's okay! I don't want to hurt you!" I say. I can feel tears filling my eyes. I quickly blink them away. I can't let her see me cry.

"How do I know that? Everything else here wants to hurt me!" Ib says accusingly.

"I would never hurt you, Ib!" I exclaim.

"How can I trust you?" Ib asks. "And how do you know my name?"

"I know your name because," I hesitate. _What if she doesn't believe me?_ "I know your name because we used to be friends."

"What? I don't even know you!" Ib glares at me, confused. However, her glare quickly disappears and is replaced by a look of confused sadness. I then realize that my disappointment must be written clearly on my face. My shoulders are slouched and my head is hanging low. I must look like I'm ready to cry.

"You really don't remember me, Ib?" I ask quietly. "It's me, Garry. We came here before, when you were only nine. We protected each other and you were able to escape. I've been stuck here ever since then." I watch Ib's reaction. At first, she still seems confused. After a few moments of thinking to herself, her face changes to a look of recognition. I watch as she studies my own face, and my heart begins to fill with hope. Tears suddenly fill her eyes and she begins to cry heavily. I gasp softly. I had not expected this.

"G-Garry?" she whimpers. I smile and nod. She laughs a little through her tears and then runs at me. She hugs me and I hug her back. We're both laughing and she's crying, and even I begin to cry a little too.

"You remember!" I exclaim. _I'm so happy!_

"I'm so sorry, Garry!" Ib cries into my shirt. "I'm so sorry that I forgot you! I'm so, so sorry!"

"It's okay. I forgive you!" I tell her. She looks up at me, tears streaming down her face. It is now that I realize how much taller she has gotten. Before, her head had just barely come above my waist. Now, her head is just below my shoulders.

"Ib, how old are you now?" I ask. She sniffles a little and wipes her eyes before answering.

"I'm fifteen years old now," she says quietly. _Fifteen years old? That means I've been here for six years!_ For a moment, I say nothing. I simply stand there, and stare ahead.

"Garry? Are you okay? You look pretty pale!" Ib exclaims. Before I can respond, she helps lead me to the wall and has me sit down on the floor.

 _Six years._ I can't believe that it's been _six years_.

"Garry, what happened to you?" Ib asks after several moments of silence. "I thought you were…"

"I know, I thought I was too," I reply. "But, I guess I'm not. I think I was somehow turned into a painting, and that kept me alive. I don't even need my rose any more. Wait!" I sit up straighter and look at Ib worriedly. "Where's your rose?"

"It's okay, I have it right here," Ib says with a slight chuckle. Reaching into a small pocket in her dress, she produces a small, red rose, just like the one that she had when we had come here all those years ago. As I look at it, I notice that two of the petals are missing.

"Ib! You lost some petals! We should find you a vase!" Ib nods and the two of us stand up. I pull her to the right into a small room full of ceramic heads and statues. In the corner of the room, sitting on top of a box, is a small vase. She places her rose into the vase and the petals magically grow back.

"Feel better?" I ask. Ib nods. "Come on, let's continue."

We leave the room and walk through the passageway that the cat had made for us. We find ourselves in the next part of the Yellow area, and I take Ib towards the right where a large pair of lips hangs on the wall.

"Uh, Garry," Ib says, "don't we need to give it an apple or something?"

"Oh, it's fine," I reply. I turn to the lips. "Do you think you could let us through? Please?"

"Oh sure, Garry!" the lips say happily. The lips then open and I pull Ib through. Once we make it through, we find ourselves in a small hallway, with various paintings of a guillotine. We proceed cautiously and when we finally reach the end of the hallway, we watch as a guillotine falls to the ground in front of us. Ib shrieks in surprise.

"You okay?" I ask.

"I think so," Ib replies. "I just forgot about that, that's all." I smile and continue moving once the guillotine has risen.

Together, we walk down a set of stairs that soon change from yellow to red. We're in the Red area now. We make our way through a hallway and through a red door, and then find ourselves in a large red room with various paintings and sculptures.

"Oh no," Ib mumbles to herself.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I just remembered that this is where the Lady in Red hangs out," Ib whispers. "Last time, she was over there." She points to the right side of the room in a small corner. Just as she says, the Lady in Red is hanging in her frame, looking like a completely normal painting.

"Oh, she's fine," I say with a wave of my hand. "Hey Red!" The Lady in Red looks over at us and then pulls herself down from the wall. Dragging her frame behind her, she crawls towards us and smiles at me.

"Garry! Why did you call her?!" Ib exclaims before she prepares to run. I gently grab her shoulder and stop her. Red crawls up to us and looks from me to Ib, and then back to me.

"Red, this is Ib," I say, motioning to Ib. "I don't want you or any of our other siblings to hurt her, okay?" Red nods and holds out a hand towards Ib. Ib looks at me and then down at Red. Slowly, she takes Red's hand and shakes it.

"Hi, uh, Red," Ib mumbles. Red grins at her happily.

"Garry, can I talk to you for a second?" Ib asks. Then looking at Red, she adds, "Alone?"

"Sure Ib," I nod. I look down at Red, who nods understandingly and crawls off.

"Garry, did you just call all of the other things in here your _siblings_?" she asks. "And how are you not so terrified in here? From what I remember, you were really scared of everything here. When we first met, you even screamed when a painting _spit_ at you."

"Well, I've had six years to get to know everyone and everything here," I say. "And besides, I'm a painting now. They kind of are like my brothers and sisters. And about being scared, well, like I said, I've been here for six years. Nothing scares me here anymore."

Ib is silent for a minute. She simply stares at me in surprise.

"Garry, are you _okay_?" she finally says.

"Of course I'm okay!" I reply, somewhat surprised that she would ask such a thing. "You're here and I get to see you again! And I'm so happy that you were able to make it out safely!"

"I'm glad that I get to see you again too," Ib smiles. I smile back. She takes my hand.

"Come on, let's keep moving," I say. Ib nods, and we walk together through a red door and into the next room.

 **Yay! Ib and Garry are finally reunited! Now comes the tricky part: figuring out what happens next. The story has only been planned up to this chapter, so now I just have to figure out what kind of stuff that I want to put Ib and Garry through. Anyways, until I update, please review and let me know what you think! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

We've made it through the Red area and are now near the end of the Gray area. We've made it to a large room where many of my siblings hang out. Once Ib and I enter, the headless statues, lady paintings, and mannequin heads all gather around to greet us. I happily say hello and introduce them all to Ib. However, Ib doesn't seem too happy for some reason. She seems hesitant to them, like she doesn't want to be here. After talking with my brothers and sisters for a minute, I say goodbye and Ib and I leave the room through a small, gray door. We walk through a short hallway and into a small room with a few bookshelves and a vase sitting on top of a desk. As soon as we enter, Ib sits down on the floor in the corner of the room.

"Do you mind if we stop for a bit?" she asks. "I just need to sit for a second."

"Sure, go ahead," I say. She smiles her thanks to me and I sit down next to her.

"Hey Ib, I need to ask you something," I tell her after a few moments of silence.

"What is it, Garry?"

"When I introduced all of my siblings to you back there, you seemed kind of hesitant. It was as if you didn't want to meet them or even be there. Why is that?"

"I don't know," Ib shrugs. "I guess it's because they were all trying to kill us the last time I saw them." She hesitated a moment before continuing. "I'm sorry Garry. I guess this will just take some getting used to. It's kind of weird seeing you so calm and happy here."

"It's okay Ib," I reply. "I was just wondering, that's all."

"Anyways, how have you been?" I ask, changing the subject.

"I've been good. I don't really have much to tell you though." she says. "I just go to school and hang out with my friends."

"What grade are you in right now?" I ask.

"I just started my sophomore year in high school," Ib replies.

"What classes are you taking?"

"Well, I'm taking all of the required classes like math, science, history, and English, but I'm also taking a few art classes. I really like painting and drawing."

"That's cool!"

"My art classes were actually the reason why I came back to the art gallery today," Ib admits.

"What do you mean?" I say.

"Well, my teacher told my class that if we go to a local art gallery over the weekend, we'd get extra credit," Ib explains.

"Garry, do you think you could answer a question for me?"

"Of course. What is it, Ib?"

"Do you know how I ended up here again?"

"Oh, I brought you here!" Ib is silent for a moment.

"Y-you brought me here, Garry?" she asks.

"Yeah, I wanted to see you again."

"You brought me here?" Ib repeats. "On purpose?"

"Yes."

"W-why?"

"I already told you. I wanted to see you again."

"But, couldn't you have just left this place instead of dragging me back in here?"

"I've tried before, and I couldn't."

Ib suddenly begins to look worried. Tears start to fill her eyes.

"D-does that mean that I might be stuck here forever?" she asks worriedly.

"That's okay, Ib," I tell her. "Even if you're stuck here, we can hang out together and have fun!"

"G-Garry?" Ib stands up and starts to move away. "I don't want to be here forever. I'm sorry, but I just want to be able to go home and see my parents and friends again. I don't want to stay here."

"But I'm here with you," I say as I stand up. "It'll be fun! Us two and all of my siblings." Ib looks afraid. _Why is she afraid?_

"Garry, I _don't_ want to be here. Please help me find a way out," Ib begs.

"But, don't you want to stay here with me?" I ask. "Don't you want to stay here and have fun?"

"No, I don't. Please Garry, help me escape," Ib says. "Maybe you'll even be able to escape too."

"What about my siblings?" I say. "I don't know if I want to leave them."

"Garry, listen to yourself! They're not your real siblings," Ib tells me.

"Yes they are!" I insist. _Why is she acting like this? Why does she want to leave? Why does she want to leave_ me _?_

"Do you want to leave me, Ib?" I ask. I step closer to her. She steps away.

"Garry, please, listen to me," she says slowly. "Those _things_ are not your siblings. You're a human who needs to escape this place with me. Please!"

"No, I'm not leaving!" I tell her. "And neither are you!"

Now Ib looks really afraid. She immediately runs out of the room and down the hall. I run to the doorway and watch as she runs away. _Away from me._

I chase after her into the Violet area. I stop running once I get to a hallway that leads off into two paths. The one path to my left leads to a violet door, while the other one leads farther down the hall. I have no idea where Ib went, so I run forward and check to see if she continued down the hallway.

"Ib!" I shout. "Why are you running from me? I thought we were friends!" I get no reply, so I continue running.

 _Why is she so afraid? Why does she want to leave me? Isn't she my friend? I thought she cared about me?_ As these thoughts run through my mind, I begin to feel angry. _Ib wants to leave me alone again. She wants to escape and never see me. I have to find her. She can't escape._

 **Well, Garry's officially lost it. This was actually a fun chapter to write, even though it was a little difficult. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter, and I'll see you on the next update.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, so when I started writing this fanfiction, I was determined that I was going to write it all in Garry's POV. However, it seems that Ib has finally decided to actually voice her thoughts, and she was just begging me to write them for her. So, here's this chapter, all in Ib's POV. I don't know how many more of these that I'll do, but this fanfiction is going to mostly be from Garry's perspective. Anyways, this starts at the same time that the last chapter started. Alright, I'll stop talking now and let you read. :)**

* * *

Garry. He's actually safe! He's okay! I don't think I've ever been happier! Although, I still have this terrible feeling of guilt in the pit of my stomach. I had left him here. I had forgotten him. I had forgotten him for six years. I feel like he should be angry with me, but he's not. He just keeps smiling. He's happy that I'm here. So that makes me happy.

We have left the Red area and are now walking through the Gray area. I'm starting to get tired. Even though Garry keeps telling me that I have nothing to worry about, I'm still afraid that one of his _siblings_ will disobey him and try to attack me. So far, nothing has tried to hurt me. _I'm so glad Garry is here._

Eventually, we make it to a large room with many walls and small rooms. There are a lot of headless statues, mannequin heads, and lady paintings. I grab onto Garry's hand and step slightly behind him. He doesn't notice this however, as he is too busy talking to his _siblings_. Soon, he starts to introduce me to everyone, and I nervously greet them with a shy "hello", just to be polite.

Luckily, Garry soon says goodbye to them, and we leave the room. We walk through a short hallway, and I can vaguely remember passing out in here when I was nine. Garry had been so worried about me, and he had carried to a small room where we were safe from any of those _things._ As we walk into that very room, I sit down in a small corner. I feel tired and nervous, and I just need to sit.

"Do you mind if we stop for a bit?" I ask. "I just need to sit for a second."

"Sure, go ahead," he says. I smile at him as he sits down next to me. We're both quiet for while. The silence is a little awkward, and even though I didn't speak to him much when I was little (I was really shy and quiet as a child), I find that now I want to speak, but I have no idea what to say. I haven't seen Garry in six years, and even though I have many questions for him, I feel too awkward to ask.

"Hey Ib," Garry finally says, breaking the silence, "I need to ask you something."

"What is it, Garry?" I say as I turn to face him.

"When I introduced all of my siblings to you back there, you seemed kind of hesitant. As if you didn't want to meet them or even be there. Why is that?" he asked.

There it is again. His _siblings_. _Why does he keep calling them that?_

"I don't know." I don't know what to say, so I just shrug to him. "I guess it's because they were all trying to kill us the last time I saw them." I immediately regret saying that. I know that they aren't his real siblings, but it seems that Garry has grown close to the _things_ here. I feel bad, so I quickly add, "I'm sorry Garry. I guess this will just take some getting used to. It's just kind of weird seeing you so calm and happy here."

"It's okay Ib," he says. "I was just wondering, that's all." Smiling, he suddenly changes the subject. "Anyways, how have you been?"

"I've been good," I reply. I silently thank him for the change in topics. "I don't really have much to tell you though. I just go to school and hang out with my friends."

"What grade are you in right now?" Garry asks.

"I just started my sophomore year in high school."

"What classes are you taking?"

"Well, I'm taking all of the required classes like math, science, history, and English, but I'm also taking a few art classes," I explain. "I really like painting and drawing."

"That's cool!" Garry says as he smiles at me.

"My art classes were actually the reason why I came back to the art gallery today," I add.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"Well, my teacher told my class that if we go to a local art gallery over the weekend, we'd get extra credit," I reply.

There's a short moment of silence and I take this as a good opportunity to ask a question that has been bugging since I got here. "Garry, do you think you could answer a question for me?"

"Of course," Garry says. "What is it, Ib?"

"Do you know how I ended up here?" I ask.

"Oh, I brought you here!" Garry replies a little too quickly. _Wait, what?!_

"Y-you brought me here, Garry?" Maybe I misunderstood him.

"Yeah, I wanted to see you again." He didn't deny it. _He brought me back to the Fabricated World?_

"You brought me back here? On purpose?" Maybe he was forced to bring me back. Maybe he never meant to bring me here again. Garry would never bring me back to this terrible place on purpose, _would he?_

"Yes." One word. Just _one word_. He had purposefully brought me back to the Fabricated World.

"W-why?"

"I already told you. I wanted to see you again," Garry says as if it should have been obvious.

"But, couldn't you have just left this place instead of dragging me back in here?"

"I've tried before, and I couldn't." _He couldn't escape?!_ Tears start to fill my eyes. I hate to cry in front of Garry, but I can't stop them.

"D-does that mean that I might be stuck here forever?" I ask in a shaky voice. _Please say no. Please say no._

"That's okay, Ib. Even if you're stuck here, we can hang out together and have fun!" Garry says happily. He sounds almost childish, like when he had gotten stuck in that room with those stuffed bunnies. Back then, he had been delusional, and it had taken a few slaps to the face to snap him out of it. However, this time, he seems to be fully aware of his thoughts and actions. I suddenly feel afraid of him. I've never felt afraid of Garry. _What's going on?_

"G-Garry?" I stand up. I can't sit next to him any more. I'm too afraid. "I don't want to be here forever. I'm sorry, but I just want to be able to go home and see my parents and friends again. I don't want to stay here."

"But I'm here with you," he says. Garry stands up and I suddenly realize how much taller than me he is. Even though I had grown a little since I had last seen him, my head still only reaches his shoulders.

"It'll be fun!" Garry says excitedly. "Us two and all of my siblings."

"Garry, I _don't_ want to be here," I say slowly. "Please help me find a way out."

"But don't you want to stay here with me?" he asks. He sounds so pathetic, as if I had just told him that he can't have the last cookie in the cookie jar. "Don't you want to hang out?"

"No, I don't. Please Garry, help me escape. Maybe you'll even be able to escape too." _At least, I hope so._

"What about my siblings? I don't know if I want to leave them."

"Garry, listen to yourself!" I exclaim. "They're not your real siblings."

"Yes they are!" he shouts back. I jump a little at the sudden rise in his voice.

"Do you want to leave me, Ib?" He steps closer to me as he asks this. I don't feel safe around him. I step back.

"Garry, please, listen to me. Those _things_ are not your siblings. You're a human who needs to escape this place with me. Please!"

"No, I'm not leaving!" he shouts. Then, with a darker tone in his voice, he adds, "And neither are you!"

This isn't Garry. Well, it sure _looks_ like him, but he's definitely not acting like himself. I'm no longer safe with him. He's not mentally stable. _I have to get out of here._

Quickly, I turn and run out of the room and down the hall. Memories from six years ago flash across my eyes as I run into the Violet area. Without turning around to see if Garry is chasing me, I turn left and find a violet door. Luckily, it's unlocked, and I open it and hide inside the tiny room. As I press my ear against the door, I can hear Garry's footsteps as he runs past and down another hallway. For the moment, I'm safe.

Falling to the floor with my back against the wall, I place my head in my hands and I start to cry silently. Garry - the only friend that I had made here in this crazy gallery - has lost his mind. He is trying to chase me and keep me here with him forever. I don't know what to do. Part of me really wants to reason with him and snap him out of whatever fantasy he's living so that we can escape together. But, another part of me is afraid of what he would do if he saw me again. _I have to escape. I'm not safe with Garry anymore._

But for now, all I want to do is cry.

 **So, what did you think of this chapter? Let me know if you want to hear any more from Ib's side of the story, or if you just want to hear it from Garry. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

I'm still walking through the Violet area. Unfortunately, this place has a lot of potential hiding spots. Right now, I'm walking through a large area with many different rooms. I can vaguely remember being here six years ago, trying to solve different puzzles when I had been separated from Ib and…. and…. that other girl. _What was her name again? I think it started with an "M". I can't remember. I think she used to be a painting. But then, something… happened? She's gone. What happened? It's been so long. I can't remember._

I shake my head. _That's not important right now. I have to find Ib._

I continue walking and opening doors. Finally, the only door that's left is the doll room. I enter the room and smile at all of the small, blue dolls. Thinking back, I can remember a time when I had been afraid of them. They had terrified me, and now I can't understand why. They're a little creepy, sure, but they're pretty nice when you get to know them.

"Hey guys, have you seen Ib?" I ask. "Y'know, that girl with brown hair and red eyes? Has she come in here?" On the wall to my left is a paint splotch. I step closer to look at it.

 _Sorry, Garry. We haven't seen her._

"It's okay," I tell them. "But, could you keep an eye out for her? And if you find her, let me know." Another paint splotch.

 _Sure thing!_ I smile.

"Thanks guys!" I call as I run out.

I've explored all that I can in the Violet area. She's not here. _But wait!_ There was that one room near this area's entrance that I never looked in to. Maybe Ib is there!

Running back the way I had come, I find the small room. As I open the door, I am met with great disappointment. Ib isn't here. The only thing in the room is a small cord in the back right-hand corner of the room. Sighing, I step back out into the hallway and make my way back.

As I walk up a set of stairs, everything around me changes from violet to brown. I'm in the Brown area now. I open a brown door and find a large room with a few more doors to explore. I open each one of them in search of Ib. She isn't in any of them. I sigh. I leave the Brown area through a small passageway. I follow a new set of stairs into the Sketchbook area. As I look around at all of the scenery drawn from crayon, I feel a slight pang in my memories. Someone else had drawn this area. _But who was it?_ I shrug off the feeling, as I had done before and continue my search. Unfortunately, Ib is no where in sight. Angrily, I slam my fists onto the ground.

"Ib! Where are you?!" I scream. I slowly take a few deep breaths and calm myself. _I have to find her. She's in here, somewhere. I know that I can find Ib._

 **Hey guys! Garry is still in search of Ib! Also, sorry for the short chapter, but the way this was written before would have ended this story way too quickly. So I did a little editing, and in order to make a longer story, this chapter had to be a little shorter. Sorry about that, but I'll try to upload the next chapter as soon as I can! Anyways, thanks for reading and reviews are always appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 7

I stand up. Garry should be gone by now, but as a precaution, I decide to exit out through the only other door in the room. As I step out into the hallway, I see another door to my left and a mirror just a few feet in front of me. I turn right and make my way past another painting and the Milk Puzzle. I stop. I stare at the Milk Puzzle. Garry had explained to me about milk puzzles when we had first come here. He had been so nice and kind and helpful. And now… now he's chasing after me. He wants me to stay here forever. _What happened to him?_

I shake these thoughts from my head. _I have to stay focused._ I walk down the hallway and through a narrow passage. I find myself in another hallway. I continue walking until I come to path with two doors on either side. _Aw man! Which one was it?_ Unsure, I open the one on the left. All around me are those creepy blue dolls. _Wait, weren't there bunnies here before?_ Quickly, I leave the room and head into the room on the right.

Once inside, I realize that the room is brown instead of violet. I'm in the Brown area now. I make my way through the room, past all of the boxes and paint supplies. A sense of nostalgia hits me as I remember that I had come in here with Mary six years ago. I frown. I feel really bad for Mary, and I feel a little guilty for what I did to her, but it was something that I had to do. She had killed Garry - or at least I thought she did, until now - and she couldn't get away with that. I also couldn't let her live on and continually trap and hurt people in here. _I'm sorry Mary. I just did what I had to. I hope you can forgive me, wherever you are._

I walk out of the room and find a snaking path with several small sets of stairs. I quickly walk past two windows, jumping as I can hear a light _thump_ against them, as if someone had smacked the windows. I make my way past a clown painting and into a room. As I walk inside, I see a small gap in the floor, with a green painting laying on top. I step closer and I can see that the painting has a pair of eyes. The eyes look at me and I look back.

"Excuse me, but, can I pass over you?" I ask nervously. The painting looks at me as it blinks a few times. It then looks away from me and towards the other side of the room, where I can see a small box and another narrow passage. Looking back at me, it glares and refuses to let me pass. I frown. _I wonder if Garry has been this way yet. Maybe he told this painting to not let me pass so that I can't continue._ This thought sickens me. I hate to have to think that Garry would purposefully stop me from escaping, but it seems that that is what has happened.

Sighing, I carefully step onto the painting, while trying not to step on the eyes. I then quickly hop over onto the other side.

"I'm so sorry!" I apologize to the painting as I run off down the narrow passage.

I quickly make my way through the dimly lit hallway, as I remember that Mary and I had passed through here before. She had asked me about my parents, and she had even thought that Garry was my dad. She had also asked that if only two of us could escape the Fabricated World, which ones would I pick. I remember telling her that I would sacrifice myself, so that she and Garry could escape. She had then told me not to worry, that we would all escape. I frown. Unfortunately, only I had been able to get out.

Continuing on, I enter a large room with many doors. _Oh no!_ I see Garry, stepping into a nearby room, calling my name. _He's looking for me!_ Luckily, his back is facing me, so, as quickly and quietly as I can, I sprint into a small passageway and down a long set of stairs. As I walk, the stairs change from brown to pink, and as I step off and into a small path, everything looks like it was drawn by a child with crayon. The Sketchbook. I'm almost out.

I run through the small town-like drawings and into the center, where the Pink House is located. I pull on the handle, but it's locked. I sigh. The only place that I can think of that could have the key is the Toy Box. Walking north, I find the Plastic House. Luckily, it's unlocked, and I walk inside. Seeing the large, blue box just a few feet in front of me, I run up and jump inside. I land with a thud and look around. There are a ton of Garry's _siblings_ around me, but they're not attacking. I'm relieved by this, but I soon become worried as I look down at my rose. The fall into the Toy Box had caused most of the petals to fall off. I stand up. Smiling awkwardly, I wave to all of the headless statues, mannequin heads, and blue dolls. They seem happy as I pass. Apparently, Garry hasn't made it this far, which means that he hasn't been able to tell the others that I had run away from him.

As I walk around the room, I finally find what I was looking for. I take the small, pink key and stuff it into a pocket in my dress. I wave once more to the others and quickly exit the room. Making my way down a short hallway, I see several blue petals. I freeze. This is where I had left Garry when Mary had killed him. Sorry, when I _thought_ that Mary had killed him. I continue walking and come to a set of stairs. I walk up the stairs and into a small area. To my left is Mary's old room, and to my right is where I can go to exit. However, as I look at Mary's old room, I can't help but feel a little curious. _What's in there now? If Mary is gone, does that mean that maybe this is Garry's room now? Maybe this is where his portrait is kept. I haven't seen it anywhere else. Maybe the portrait could help me somehow get him back to his normal self and we can escape together._ It's a strange thought, and I'm probably wrong, but I walk in anyway.

Near the end of the room, is a series of paintings. There are tons of them! The canvases lean against the walls, or simply just lay on the ground. There are even a few fairly tall stacks of canvases, as well as many piles of art supplies like brushes, palettes, and paint. However, there is one painting that is hanging on the wall. My eyes widen. I can tell that this is Garry's portrait. After seeing it at the gallery before, I'm able to recognize it, even if Garry isn't in the painting.

Looking away from it for a moment, I stare at all of the other paintings. These are all different. I can tell that they weren't painted by Guertena, simply because of the use of the paint, the lighting and shading, and the pictures themselves. Every one of them has me in the picture, either alone, or with Garry. I'm smiling in all of them, and every painting has a happy vibe to it. _Did Garry paint these? They're actually really good! But, why did he paint pictures of me? Did he miss me?_ I frown sadly. _He missed me._ I suddenly feel bad for running from him. He just wanted to see me again. He cared for me. _He still cares for me._ It's just that this place has driven him insane. _I need to help him escape!_

"Ib! Get out of here!" I jump as I whip my head around. _Garry._

 **Here's another one in Ib's perspective! And ooh! Cliff hanger! Yay! You'll have to wait until the next chapter to see what's in store for Ib and Garry! Anyways, thanks for reading and reviews are always appreciated!**


	8. Chapter 8

I walk into the Plastic House. I haven't checked here yet, and all I see is a large toy box. _Maybe she went in here._ I jump in and land with a thud. I see a lot of my siblings standing around me in the dark Toy Box. I call all of them over.

"Have you guys seen Ib pass through here?" I ask. The dolls nod, the headless statues give me a thumbs up in agreement, and the mannequin heads smile. I smile back. _Finally!_

"Where is she? Where did she go?" They all make some sort of motion to the pathway ahead of me.

"Awesome! Thanks so much you guys!" I call as I wave and run out of the room. I can hear the dolls giggling and I can feel the headless statues and mannequin heads giving me positive vibes. I smile. I'm finally going to find Ib.

However, as I race through the small hallway, I see a few blue flower petals still lying on the ground. I realize soon that up ahead is my portrait, as well as many of the paintings that I have done over the years. _What if Ib is in my room?_ I frown. Terrible possibilities of what Ib could do to my portrait flash through my mind. I shake them away angrily. _I have to catch up to her before she does anything that she'll regret._

I run through the doorway and into my room. My suspicions had been correct. Ib is in my room, staring at all of the paintings.

"Ib! Get out of here!" I yell. Startled, Ib jumps and turns around.

"G-Garry?" she whimpers.

"I said, get out!" I yell again.

"Garry, please, I don't want to hurt you," Ib says.

"I don't want to hurt you either," I tell her, feeling slightly more calm than before. "Just, please, get out of here."

"Is this… is this your portrait?" Ib asks, changing the subject. "And what are these? Did you paint them?"

"Yes, and yes," I reply. I watch as she steps towards one of my paintings to look at it. It's leaning against a wall and fairly low to the ground, so Ib has to crouch down to see it properly. The painting that she's looking at is one of my most recent ones. I painted Ib holding a red umbrella while standing in the rain. She has her head lifted up towards the sky and her hand is out of the umbrella so that she can touch the rain drops. She has a soft, quiet smile as her red eyes stare out into the rain.

"Is this me?" Ib asks, drawing my attention away from my painting. I nod, and she takes another look at the painting. She smiles. _She smiles._

"This is really good, Garry," she says sincerely. "Did you paint at all before you came here? Were you an artist?" I think for a moment. _Before I came to the Fabricated World?_ I have to think hard. It's hard to remember anything from before coming here. That's why I never really think about it usually. _Forgetting the bad stuff._ I do that a lot, I guess.

"Y-yeah. I think so," I reply slowly. "Yeah!" _It's starting to come to me!_ "I went to college! And I was an art major! I wanted to become an art teacher! I remember now! I painted all the time, and I came to the art gallery because I needed some inspiration!" Ib smiles a little more. I smile back. Suddenly, something catches my eye. I look down at the floor. After all these years, it still hasn't been cleaned up or moved. _Ashes._

"Mary," I mumble. "Mary was here. Mary was a painting. Mary stole your rose. I gave my rose to Mary in exchange for your's. Mary pulled off all of my petals." I look up at my portrait. I can still see the large burn mark behind it. "My painting replaced Mary's painting."

"Garry, are you okay?" Ib asks, stepping closer to me. I don't respond. I stare down at my feet as I grip my head.

"I remember everything," I mutter quietly. "I remember my life before this gallery, I remember how I got here, and how we met, everything we had to go through, Mary, everything." Suddenly, I feel a slight pang in my chest and my vision becomes blurry. "I remember what it felt like to be here alone. Without you. I remember how I felt when I finally saw you return. I-I remember…. I remember…" I can feel something wet drip down my cheek. I refuse to look up at Ib. "I remember chasing you. I chased you, Ib. I said that I wouldn't allow you to escape. I remember how _angry_ I was when you ran off. It felt like you were leaving me. But… but, you were just…. just _afraid_ …. afraid of _me._ " This realization hits me hard. _She was afraid of me this whole time. I chased her and told her that she wouldn't leave. I was selfish and delusional. How could I allow myself to do such a thing?_ I fall to my knees with a thud. I think I hear Ib call out my name. She kneels down beside me. I can feel her arms wrap around me. My shoulders shake. _Is she shaking me?_ No. I'm crying. No. I'm _sobbing_. I feel kind of stupid for sitting here, sobbing like a baby while a teenaged girl holds me. I'm an adult man. I shouldn't be acting like this. _But I don't know what else to do_.

"I-I'm s-so s-s-sorry, Ib," I blabber as I cry. Ib simply pulls me closer.

"It's okay," she says. "I forgive you. It wasn't your fault. This gallery made you lose your mind."

"I'm so sorry," I mumble again. I feel like it's not enough. No matter how many times I apologize, I feel like I could ever be forgiven. I have to do something to earn forgiveness. Suddenly, an idea hits me. I slowly stand up. I wipe my eyes as Ib stands up.

"Are you okay, Garry?" she asks. I nod and then gently take hold of her hand. I pull her out of the room, into the Sketchbook, into the Pink House (after she hands me the key for the Pink House), and into the dark gallery. Finally, we reach our destination. The Fabricated World painting.

I turn to Ib. I smile at her as I gently grip her shoulders. Mentally, I take a picture of her. Her red eyes. Her brown hair. Her smile.

"Ib, I want you to escape. You have a family, friends, and a life. I want you to be happy and live your life," I tell her.

"But, Garry!" Ib exclaims. "You have to come with me! You need to escape too!"

"I don't know if I can. I'm a painting, and according to what Mary had written in her diary, she would have needed to replace someone from the real gallery in order to escape. I'm not sure if it's the same for me, but I could never replace you or anyone else in order to get out. That's why I have to stay." Ib's eyes fill with tears. Her cheeks become wet as she sobs heavily. Suddenly, she wraps her arms around me as she sobs into my shirt. I wrap my arms around her comfortingly. I hold her close. _I'll miss her._

"Ib, it's alright. I'm fine with staying here now. Your safety is more important to me." She sniffles and looks up at me. I smile at her as I wipe her tears away with my thumb.

Finally, I turn my attention back to the painting. I read what's written on the nameplate out loud. Suddenly, the golden frame disappears.

"Ib, go now!" I exclaim as I give her a little push towards it. She falls in and lands on her butt on a white floor inside the painting.

"Garry! You have to get out with me! I'm not leaving without you!" Ib cries.

Before I can protest, Ib reaches through the painting and grabs my wrist. She pulls. _Hard._ I never knew that Ib was so strong! I fall forward _through the painting._ I land on a hard white floor and look behind me. Outside of the painting, I see the dark gallery. _I made it through?!_ I look up and see Ib. She's smiling and laughing and crying. She grabs onto me in a hug.

"See? I told you that you could escape! I told you! We can go home together!" she sobs happily.

"But how?!" I ask. Ib pauses and sniffles as she thinks for a moment.

"Maybe it's because you weren't originally a painting," she says. "You were - and _are_ \- a human, so I guess you were always supposed to escape."

"But, every time I tried to escape, this painting wouldn't let me," I remind her. "The frame never disappeared until now."

"Maybe the gallery didn't want you to escape, so it never gave you the chance to get out," she suggests. "But now that I'm here, it allowed me to escape, and then the frame couldn't come back on in time to prevent you from getting through too." I think about this for a moment.

"Maybe you're right," I say. Ib laughs and continues hugging me.

"Maybe I am, but it doesn't matter any more! We're out! We got out together!" she cries. Maybe she's right. It shouldn't matter, as long as we're both safe. I laugh a little as I return the hug.

"We did get out! We can both go home now!" I exclaim. We both look at each other once more and then turn back to the white space ahead of us. We stand up together, her hand in mine, and then we take a step forward. We plunge into nothing as a blinding white light forces me to close my eyes.

The next thing I know, I'm back in the real gallery. _The real gallery._ However, Ib isn't with me. I speed walk through the gallery, in search of my friend. I finally find her staring at "The Hanged Man" painting. I smile as I run up towards her.

"Ib! There you are!" I say excitedly. I can hear a few people "shush" me as I run up to her, but I ignore them. Ib turns around and stares at me curiously.

"I'm sorry, sir," she says, "but how do you know me?" I freeze. She doesn't remember.

"I-Ib, it's me, Garry," I say slowly. "Don't you remember? We were trapped in the Fabricated World, and I got turned into a painting for the past six years, and then you came back and helped save me. You have to remember!"

Ib looks at me for a moment. I feel like I could cry again. Just when I've escaped, Ib doesn't remember me, or anything that had happened to us.

"P-please, Ib! You have to remember!" I beg. She continues to look at me blankly.

"G-Garry?" she asks.

"Yes! It's me, Garry! Don't you remember? I went nuts in the Fabricated World, but you were able to snap me out of it! You helped me escape, even though I thought it was hopeless!"

"Garry?!" Suddenly, she slams her body into me and begins to cry. I laugh as I let my own repressed tears slip down my cheeks. I hold her close, and for a while, we just stand there while other gallery visitors give us strange looks.

"I remember now! I'm so sorry I forgot again, Garry! I'm so sorry!" she cries.

"It's okay, Ib! We're back! We've made it out safely!" I tell her.

After a long time of crying and hugging, Ib and I finally calm down. We wipe away our tears and then laugh, as if we hadn't just spent the last few minutes bawling like a couple of babies. Then, Ib turns her head towards "The Hanged Man" painting.

"Your painting's gone," she says. I look at the painting and then back at Ib.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Your painting had been here for the past six years," she explains, pointing to "The Hanged Man". "And if I remember correctly, this was the painting that had originally been here before we first entered the Fabricated World."

"You know, now that you mention it, I think I remember looking at this before we got trapped the first time," I say as I look at the painting.

"I guess this means that you're no longer a painting now," Ib says with a smile. I smile back.

"Ib! Where are you?" We both turn towards the voice. A young girl, about Ib's age, comes walking up the stairs. When she sees us, she smiles and immediately runs towards us. I notice that she has black hair pulled into a neat ponytail, and she's wearing a pink skirt with a white V-neck shirt and pink flip flops. As she smiles at Ib, I can see that her eyes are a stunning bright purple.

"Ib! There you are! I was looking all over for you!" the girl says. "My mom says that she'll take us out to eat when we're ready to go, and I'm _starving_!" Then, the girl looks curiously up at me, her smile not faltering in the slightest.

"Hi! Do you know Ib?" she asks. "Are you a friend of her's? 'Cause I could've sworn that I heard you two talking to each other when I came up here." I open my mouth to respond, but Ib beats me to it.

"Vanessa, this is Garry. I met him a few years ago and I finally found him again today," Ib explains. She then smiles brightly at me. I smile back. "And Garry, this is my best friend, Vanessa."

"Hi, Vanessa! It's nice to meet you," I say happily as I extend my arm out to her.

"It's nice to meet you too, Garry!" she says cheerily. She takes my hand and shakes it hard. _Man! That girl has a strong grip!_ "Any friend of Ib's is a friend of mine!"

"So, are you ready to go, Ib? Or do you wanna talk with Garry a little longer?" Vanessa asks. Ib smiles and looks from me to Vanessa.

"Actually, do you think that Garry could come with us? I know a great cafe that sells macaroons nearby!" Ib giggles a little as she says this. I can't help but grin.

"Yeah! That sounds great! I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind one extra person!" Vanessa exclaims excitedly. With that, she grabs Ib's hand, and Ib grabs my hand. I am suddenly dragged down the stairs by two teenaged girls with the promise of macaroons. _Finally. I've escaped, and I'm with Ib again. Life can't get any better!_

 **Here you go! Ib and Garry have escaped! And just so you know, this was probably one of the hardest chapters to write. I didn't want anything to seem forced, but I guess everything just kind of happened. I don't know. Tell me what you think! Also, the idea for Ib's friend Vanessa just came out of thin air. So, I hope you like her. Yeah. Anyways, thanks for reading and please review! (Btw, this is not over! Expect an epilogue or something.)**


	9. Epilogue

I've been back in the real world for about two weeks now. It's weird though; almost everything is as it was before I disappeared. My apartment is still here along with all of my belongings, and all my classes at college are still the same. Of course, now there are different students in my classes because everyone else has probably graduated already. What's really weird though is that all of my friends still know me, but they're all six years older now. It's a little awkward (for me, at least) to talk to them, but they act as if nothing has changed. I guess that's good though. I wouldn't want to have to explain that I've been trapped in another world for the past six years.

Ib has definitely been a huge help for me though. She's called almost every day, and she visits me when she can. We talk a lot about our experiences together, which is especially helpful when I forget things from our first "adventure" in the Fabricated World. Oh yeah, I still have trouble remembering things sometimes. Every now and then I'll forget minor details like some of the puzzles that we had to solve in order to escape. Luckily, Ib helps me remember these things.

Unfortunately, Ib hasn't been able to help me with everything. I've had nightmares almost every night. Almost all of them remind me of how I had treated Ib when I brought her back to the Fabricated World, playing through my mind like a movie of my memories. The guilt still eats away at me, and I feel awful for everything I did. I've apologised dozens of times, and Ib continually tells me that "It's alright". But I still feel bad. I need to do something to make it up to her.

Pulling out my phone, I call Ib. It rings three times before she picks up.

"Hello?" she answers.

"Hi Ib. It's me," I say.

"Oh, hi Garry! How are you?" she says.

"I'm good. But, I have a question. Are you busy at all today?" I ask.

"Uh, no. I don't think so," Ib replies. "Why, do you need to talk?"

"Sort of. Listen, can I drive over and pick you up in about ten minutes?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Alright, I'll see you then."

"See you soon!"

I hang up, grab my wallet and keys, and then leave my apartment. Hopping into my car, I drive off to Ib's house.

When I get there, Ib answers the door, says goodbye to her parents, and then hops into the car with me. Things are pretty quiet for a while as I drive, but it's not an awkward silence. When we finally arrive at our destination, I step out of the car and open the door for Ib. She steps out and looks around.

"We're at the cafe?" she asks.

"Yeah," I nod. "I know we already came here with your friend Vanessa, but I did promise you that I'd take you to get macaroons when we got out of there." Ib smiles a little and together we walk inside. I order the macaroons and then we sit down together at a small table. We eat in silence for a while before I decide to speak up.

"Hey Ib, I really need to talk to you about… what happened in the gallery," I say quietly. "I'm _really_ sorry for everything I did. I wasn't myself back there and I would _never_ want to hurt you."

"I know, Garry," she says. "You've already apologised enough. I forgive you. I'm just glad we're both safe."

"I know, but I feel like I need to do something to _earn_ your forgiveness," I tell her. "I just feel so guilty for everything that happened. Isn't there anything I could do to make it up to you?"

Ib is silent for a moment, as if she's contemplating her answer. Finally she smiles and then passes the last macaroon across the table to me.

"All I want from you is a friend," Ib replies. "I just want you to be my friend and to be there for me. I want to be able to hang out with you and I want you to stop feeling guilty. Everything you did back in the gallery was not your fault. The gallery was driving you insane and you weren't thinking clearly. It's not your fault." I look down at the macaroon and then at Ib. She sounds so sincere. I smile a little.

"Thanks Ib," I say.

"No. Thank you," she says. I give her a look to show my confusion and to let her know that I need further explanation.

"You saved me," she says simply. "You gave Mary your rose in exchange for mine and you saved my life. You helped me escape, even when you couldn't. And in doing so, you've already earned my forgiveness. Thank you."

"It was no problem, Ib. You would've done the same for me," I reply. She smiles at me and we return to a comfortable silence. Looking back down at the macaroon, I split it in half and hand half of it to Ib. She silently takes it and nods her thanks to me. I nod back and shove the other half into my mouth. Neither of us say anything as we stand up and leave the cafe. We pause outside and look up at the bright, cloudless sky. _I never realized how much I missed seeing the sun until now._

"So, are you okay now, Garry?" Ib asks. _Am I okay?_

"I-I think?" I hesitate. _Am I okay?_ Well, I'm back in the real world, I have Ib with me again, we're both safe, and even though a small part of me still feels bad for everything I did in the Fabricated World, another part of me reminds me that it's all in the past. Ib forgives me. Ib is here with me. She's safe. _I'm safe._ I smile.

"I think I will be," I reply. "Thanks for coming to the cafe with me, Ib."

"That's good. And, you're welcome," Ib says.

We both get back into my car, and instead of sitting in silence we talk about more _normal_ things; things like Ib's classes at school, her friends, my classes, and plans to hang out next weekend. When we get to Ib's house, I hug her goodbye and then she runs into her house. As I pull out of her driveway and begin to drive home, I smile a little to myself. _Yeah, I think I'm going to be okay. Thank you Ib._

 **And now, my fanfic is complete! (Aw! I feel kind of bitter-sweet about this!) This was probably the hardest chapter to write, so that's why it took so long to update. Anyways, please review and let me know what you think! Thanks so much for reading! :D**


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